A Comparison of Two Global Positioning System Devices for Team-Sport Running Protocols

Willmott A.G.B., James C.A., Bliss A., Leftwich R.A., Maxwell N.S.

Objective:
The study aimed to investigate the comparability and reliability of global positioning system (GPS) devices during running protocols associated with team sports.

Methods:

Fourteen moderately-trained males completed three running protocols: 690 m straight-line movements, a 570 m change of direction (COD) course, and a 642.5 m team-sport simulated circuit (TSSC), on two occasions.
Participants wore a FieldWiz GPS device and a Catapult MinimaxX S4 10-Hz GPS device.
Typical error of measurement (TE) and coefficient of variation (CV%) were calculated between GPS devices for the variables of total distance and peak speed.
Reliability comparisons were made within FieldWiz GPS devices between sessions.
Results:

Small TE was observed between FieldWiz and Catapult GPS devices for total distance and peak speed during straight-line (16.9 m [2%], 1.2 km/h [4%]), COD (31.8 m [6%], 0.4 km/h [2%]), and TSSC protocols (12.9 m [2%], 0.5 km/h [2%]), respectively, with no significant mean bias (p > 0.05).
Small TE was also observed for the FieldWiz GPS device between sessions (p > 0.05) for straight-line (9.6 m [1%], 0.2 km/h [1%]), COD (12.8 m [2%], 0.2 km/h [1%]), and TSSC protocols (6.9 m [1%], 0.6 km/h [2%]), respectively.
Data from the FieldWiz GPS device appears comparable to established devices and reliable across a range of movement patterns associated with team sports.